contact at the plate - must slide?

[WestMichBlue]

Originally Posted by Ran.D

If I remember the rule correctly, it states Runner is out when "She remains upright and crashes in to the defender in posssesion of, or about to receive the throw." Contact determined to be malicious; she's ejected.

Okay, what determines a crash? Isn't this a judgement call by PU?

Then........BU gets involved (without being asked-he's head of our association) after coach says "she's gotta slide" and calls the out.


In Fed, doesn't the catcher have to actually be in possession of the ball to block the plate.

A - the rule does not have the words "about to receive" in it. If the defender has the ball, and the runner initiates contact (other than a slide) the runner is out for interference. If the defender does not have the ball and the runner initiates contact, the call is obstruction.

B - you are mixing ASA and NFHS rules. ASA never had "about to receive" in its crash rule; NFHS had it included wrongly in 2005; corrected in 2006. Also NFHS uses the word malicious to indicate forcefull contact; ASA uses flagrant.

C - the word crash simply means contact. As noted in A, contact may be called interference, or obstruction. If contact is forcefull (malicious or flagrant), then ejection follows.

D - "In Fed, doesn't the catcher actually have to be in possession of the ball to block the plate?" Yes, and in ASA also. But that moves us into a discussion about Obstruction rules. Here we are talking about contact - legal or illegal, part of the game level or malicious level.

E - the leader of your association is probably an elected position. Popular, yes. But not necessarily a qualified umpire. And it doesn't mean that he is not a jerk - which he indicated in your game.

Never never never overule a partner's call. Period!

WMB